On May 25, Belfast’s new adult hospice will take in its first patient.

It will no doubt be a moment of mixed emotions for everyone involved.

Today it is not known who that patient will be, but what is clear is that is could literally be any one of us facing the ultimate moment of crisis.

And in a community and country where the people are traditionally divided by a chance of birth, it will be a death that will reveal that in the end we are all the same.

In the year after May 25, an other 2,999 patients will be cared for with their families in the hospice and their homes across Northern Ireland.

The care will be free, delivered with dedication, dignity and love and often at great emotional cost to the care givers.

But there’s also a heavy financial burden to making the final days and hours of our loved ones comfortable, safe, dignified and peaceful.

Hospice fund raisers have already gathered millions to build the facility and that’s just the start.

The Northern Ireland Hospice has been a huge undertaking in a tight spot

It will take £6million to run the service every year - that’s £16,500 a day - about £700 a hour.

And every penny donated to the hospice will help.

After raising an incredible £13 million for the hospice build there is still more to be done to overcome the final hurdle.

The fitting out of the 18 modern single en-suite rooms is not just as simple as popping out to the a Swedish super store and will cost £1.5 million.

Every piece of furniture in each suite is specially designed for comfort, hygiene and durability.

A hoist costs £4,000, the beds alone cost £1,700 and the pillows are £15 each.

And head of fund raising for the hospice, Marcus Cooper, hopes the public will managed an other final stretch to fit out the rooms.

He said: “The new Northern Ireland Hospice is designed to be a world leader in palliative care. There is no doubt that our hospice is a place that could at some time be used by anyone and everyone. None of us is protected from things life throws at us and around 3,000 people every year will be looked after by the hospice.

Marcus Cooper is head of fund raising at the new adult hospice

"The public in Northern Ireland knows this and they have been incredibly generous and ingenious in their fund raising for the build and beyond.

“And now we are asking for a little more to finish the project and open the doors.

“A set of two pillows costs £30, perhaps a school could come up with an idea to raise that £30.

“The shower chair costs £78, perhaps an office or a group of friends could think of a way to come up with that.

“The hospice will also provide beautiful peaceful gardens, a children and relatives area; a sanctuary and chaplain’s room and private spaces for people and their families to be together.

“Every penny, every pound counts and although people sometimes say they have only been able to give us a small amount, it’s just as valuable as a large amount because it all adds up.

“Each year it costs more than £6 million to run Northern Ireland Hospice services and will rely heavily on the public to raise £3 million of this amount through donations, legacies and fundraising events.

“And although hospice care is free to the patients and their friends and families, it’s not free to provide and the majority of funding to support Northern Ireland Hospice comes from local people.”

The fit out:

Patient Bed: £1,700

IQ Bed with Catilever side rails

Marcus said: “The hospice patient beds will provide comfort and safety. Our patients helped us choose the beds by trying them out and reporting to the buying team if they were fit for the job. We invited potential suppliers to hospice and asked our patients and staff to try them out to make sure we got this right.

“They will allow patients a comfortable night’s sleep and they can adjust the position of the bed independently.

“Special pressure relieving mattresses will help avoid people getting bed sores and be as comfortable as possible for patients.

“Low lighting under the beds will help guide patients should they wake at night and help avoid any falls.”

Hoists: £4,000

Adult hoist

Marcus said: “Patients safety, privacy and dignity is improved by bespoke track-system hoists fitted to the each of the 18 private patient bedrooms.

“The hoists will enable people to move around the room more freely and increase the mobility of patients with complex needs."

Specialist pillows: £30 for set of two

Heat sealed pillow

Marcus said: “Patient pillows all come with heat-sealed covers to meet infection prevention and control standards. Good quality pillows are key to a good night’s rest and also good for allowing a patient to be positioned comfortably on bed.

“They will be pressure relieving and also washable at high temperatures. Duvet covers will also be washable.

“All the colour schemes, including duvet covers, pillow covers, curtains and soft furnishings within the new hospice have been carefully chosen to encourage a sense of calmness. We want this to be a place where people and their families can be as relaxed as possible, safe in the knowledge that they are receiving the very best in Hospice care.”

Shower Chair: £78

Shower chair

Marcus said: “Shower chairs provide safety, privacy and dignity for all patients. The shower chairs have wheels and will give patients who do not need to use a hoist the choice to move much more easily from their bed to the shower, they will also give them much greater freedom of movement and space when using the shower room.”

Dementia Clock : £125

Dementia clock

Marcus said: “A dementia/Alzheimer’s patient has no sense of depth of time which is caused by short term memory issues.

“So dementia clocks are designed to overcome difficulties of telling time, the stages of each day and even seasons.

“People with dementia often have difficulty with short term memory, which is why a dementia clock helps them to know if it is morning or afternoon, day or night and can be very helpful."

Family Table: £500

Patient table

Marcus said: “The table allows patient and family members to sit together for breakfast, do a crossword, read a book or just have a chat over a cup of tea. It will also provide a work-desk should family members staying with patients need to continue day-to-day work.

“Providing a table in each room will help us to be a home for people and families whilst they are with us."

Riser/recliner chair: £1,500

Specially designed chair

Marcus said: “These chairs are great and increase mobility and movement around the hospice and the patient’s room. The chairs can be adjusted to a number of positions to make sure people are as comfortable as possible.

"These chairs provide flexibility and comfort for patients and can be functioned independently. They will also allow the patient to relax either in their room or outdoors in the private gardens each of the 18 bedrooms in the new hospice enjoy.”

The new hospice at a glance:

18 single en-suite rooms with modern facilities, comfort and private space for families and loved ones. All patient rooms will be single and en-suite, have access to private garden areas and will be dementia friendly. Equipped with piped oxygen and the latest moving and handling equipment these rooms will allow us to care for people with all illnesses, safely and easily. Every patient bedroom will have space and facilities for extra beds, enabling family to stay overnight and be with their loved one when necessary.

A bright and spacious day hospice where patients can enjoy companionship, therapies, activities and access to the outpatient clinic.

A research and education wing which will advance the reach and quality of care we can provide locally and internationally. A new research and education wing will be created as part of the rebuild which will be a Centre for Excellence and innovation for palliative care.

A children and relatives area for those visiting their loved ones. New family spaces will include children’s and relatives areas, kitchen facilities and quiet places for visiting family and friends.

A sanctuary for those seeking spiritual support.

Peaceful gardens for use by patients and relatives.

A physiotherapy and occupational therapy facility to improve the wellbeing of patients.

A café and public spaces where the local community will be welcome to use facilities.

55 underground car parking spaces have been created and volunteer facilities, catering, laundry, staff welfare and administration facilities are equipped with modern facilities.